The sunlight peaks through the edges of your windows, and the chirping birds slowly make you more and more conscious of the world outside. Should you doze a few more minutes, hit snooze on the alarm a few times, or jump out of bed to start the day? Such a big decision!

Perhaps you savor your slumber, and snooze time after time until you begrudgingly need to roll out of bed and kick off the day. Ugh, not another Monday. Sound all too familiar?

How you do anything, is how you do everything. The way that you start your day has an affect on the rest of your waking hours. Over the long term, the small decisions that we make on a day to day basis dictate the trajectory, and the quality of our lives. That means starting the day with productivity and purpose is a must.

So how do we go about optimizing our morning routines? It’s important to understand that an effective morning routine doesn’t start in the morning – it starts the night before. Set aside the clothes you plan to wear ahead of time, because it’s important to leave yourself with as few decisions as possible as you kick off the day. Half an hour before you plan to go to sleep, shut off all social media, and stop using any electronics with a screen. The blue light that our electronics emit affects our circadian rythym, and tricks our brains into thinking it’s daylight outside. Have you ever been tired as you browse your news feed, and then can’t seem to fall asleep once you’re in bed? If so, you’ve experienced first hand how our screens can alter the quality of our sleep.

To optimize your routine in the morning, there are a several simple ways you can guarantee you’ll have a great start to the day, and will feel productive and focused for hours afterwards.

Make Your Bed

It sounds so simple, and it is. But why is it important? By making your bed every morning, it’s an immediate win early on in the day. It lets your brain feel accomplished, even if it’s just a small task. Making your bed right after waking helps set the tone for increased productivity throughout the day.

Hydrate

Many of us live in a state of constant dehydration. A simple trick to help start your day on the right foot is consuming a few large glasses of water within an hour of waking. It helps hydrate your body, flush toxins, and increase your metabolism.

Breathe deeply

We need oxygen to survive, but we need lots of oxygen if we really want to thrive! If you have a tendency to hunch your shoulders, breath shallow, and don’t live a very active lifestyle, you’ll notice immediate benefits from this one. Take 10 deep breaths right as you jump out of bed in the morning. It can even be while you’re making your bed, if you like multitasking. It helps improve our respiritory, digestive, lymphatic, and immune systems. Deep breathing also reduces stress levels and helps increase circulation throughout our bodies.

Stretch or Exercise

Air squats, pushups, stretching and jogging. There are so many activities you can practice to get your blood flowing first thing in the morning. Even if you don’t have the time (or the willpower!) for a full workout, spend some time stretching and paying attention to your body. It helps you fully wake up, increases your alertness, and gets your brain in a mindset where you’re ready to be productive.

Practice Gratitude

When we tell ourselves the things that make us gratful, it conditions our brain to pay attention to the blessings that we have. There are plenty of studies that show when people practice gratitude, it leads to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. No need to overcomplicate things – practicing gratitude can be as easy as choosing three things you’re grateful for; your health, your family, and your job perhaps? Try mixing them up each day, and remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated!

Daily Goals

If you fail to plan, then plan to fail! It’s important to be crystal clear on the things that you want to accomplish on any given day. Write down the biggest or most important tasks, even if it’s just a mental note. By being clear on the precise things you need to accomplish, it leaves no question of how you should focus your time, and what you should do that day.

Consume a healthy meal

Our bodies are comprised of what we fuel it with. We quite literally are what we eat! The good news is that healthy food is downright delicious! Once you’re hungry in the morning or around lunch time, treat your body to a nutritious and satisfying meal. Try to minimize the sugar and refined carbs, because those are the nutrients that lead to mood swings and weight gain. Choose the lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables to provide you with clean, healthy energy throughout your day.

Optimizing our morning routines doesn’t have to be difficult. With a little planning, we can set ourselves up for an incredibly productive and satisfying day. Our livelihood is completely within our control, once we make some simple improvements to our routines first thing in the morning, it helps us throughout the rest of our waking hours.

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